The company’s name, Raw Deal Inc., was unintentionally appropriate, with a double meaning referring to trendy “raw” nutrients and a common expression that means a bad deal. It was the company’s customers who got an actual raw deal: they were buying diluted products that didn’t contain the substances that distributors had paid for. During the four years that this scheme operated, the company earned a profit of between $7 and $20 million.
Some products were sold as certified organic or certified kosher, but were distributed with false certificates. When Food and Drug Administration inspectors came to visit, the factory simply didn’t blend adulterants into products in front of the inspectors.
The company’s owner pleaded guilty back in December, and the executive vice president pleaded guilty to obstructing an agency investigation. She could be sentenced to up to five years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or one calculated based on how much the person’s crime gained.
by Laura Northrup via Consumerist
No comments:
Post a Comment